1 The Giver by Lois Lowry

2 Lois Lowry …..is an author of children's literature who has been awarded the Newbery Medal twice: first for Number the Stars in 1990, and again in 1994 for The Giver, a widely known and controversial work.

3

4 Color or No color…….. Imagine a world where everything is in black and white…..no color. That’s what Jonas’ world is like.

5 Benchmarks in The United StatesAt birth, children live with their families. At age 5-6, children go to kindergarten. At age 10, children go to middle school. At age 13, children become teenagers. At age 16, children can get their driver’s license. At age 18, children graduate from high school and begin to choose their profession. At age 18, children can vote. At age 21, children officially become adults.

6 Benchmarks in the Giver SocietyOne: children get assigned to their families. Children also receive their names. Two: children can walk. Three: children begin to tell dreams. They reach the same maturity level. Four - Six: children wear back-buttoned jackets so that they can learn to depend upon others. Seven: children get a front-buttoned jacket, which is the first sign of independence Eight: children perform voluntary work. They give up their “comfort objects.” Children become more independent. Nine: children receive bikes. Girls no longer have to wear hair ribbons. Ten: children get hair cuts. Girls no longer wear braids. Boys had shorter hair which allowed for their ears to show. Eleven: children get new clothes. Girls get different undergarments because they have undergone puberty. Boys gets pants with pockets designed to carry the calculators that they use in school. Twelve: children learn their future professions. They become adults.

7 Imagine a World Void of Color and Emotionmusic No music No change of season or traditional holidays No expression of emotion No memories, either positive or negative Welcome to the World of “The Giver”

8 Values Values can be anything from food, sleep, money, love, compassion, friends, to honesty, responsibility, pride, self esteem, integrity, religion, humor, knowledge, or good grades. Take a moment to think about and list your top 3 values in your notes. These are the things you could not live without. Think about whether your values are influenced mostly by your family, your society, your peers, what exactly?? A combination?

9 Themes The Importance of Memory Memory poses a “danger”/ “threat”Memory is essential (The Committee of Elders designates a Receiver to remember history for the community). The Relationship Between Pain and Pleasure No pleasure without pain/no pain without pleasure. “Sameness” dulls/voids feeling

10 Quotation Explained: “We failed in our last selection,” the Chief Elder said solemnly. “It was ten years ago, when Jonas was just a toddler. I will not dwell on the experience because it causes us all terrible discomfort.” Pain-The description of the “discomfort” experienced by the community is telling because it is such a tragic experience for members of the community that nobody wants to mention it again. Specifically, their experience with the previous receiver…

11 CONNOTATION Notice the first sentence of the novel.The connotation of a word is the emotional associations that go along with the word, what feeling it conveys beyond its dictionary meaning. Notice the first sentence of the novel. “It was almost December and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.” (-) December has negative connotations: cold, darkness, the death that comes to plants in winter. (+) December also has positive connotations: holidays, gifts, vacation. **Its connotation depends on reader/context… **Context clue(s) in 1st sentence make it (-) Chapters 1-4

12 Watching Your Words Early in the novel, we learn that the citizens of Jonas’ world are taught to use “precise language”. Not only are rules and apologies recited in unison at school, but students carefully choose the right adjectives to describe certain situations or what they are thinking or feeling. As you read, think about why precision in language is considered to be so important in Jonas’ world. Chapters 1-4

13 Biblical Names Jonas – Jonah, Old Testament prophetdisobeys God, runs away, and swallowed by a whale Gabriel – angel who brought heavenly messages to Daniel and Mary. recognized by Christians, Jews, and Muslims Chapters 1-4

14 Vocabulary Chapters 1-14 apprehensive - nervoustransgression – a violation of a rule adherence – obedience to a rule chastise – a punishment nurture – to give care relinquish – to give up disquieting – upsetting conveyance – the act of moving or transporting consume – to completely take up one’s attention admonition – a warning

15 Match the picture to the vocabulary word

16 Chapters 1-4 How do you feel about the aging ceremony?Are you comfortable with the idea of children being given to parents? Do you think that they have a good way of keeping everyone equal?

17 Chapters 1-4 (cont.) How do you feel about the “family units”?Do you think that they would work in our world today? Do you like the idea of the units? Do you have any questions about the novel so far?

18 Euphemism- A euphemism is a word or term that has mild connotations and masks the offensiveness or harshness of the actual word or term. *What are some euphemisms used in our society? Chapters 5-8

19 What’s in a Name? Notice that in Jonas’ community, newchildren are given numbers-rather than names-at birth. Then, when they turn one, they are assigned names at a Naming Ceremony. Today, in other societies……………… Children in some tribal societies are not considered born until they are named. The majority of people in the Western hemisphere are named after biblical figures. The most popular last name in English-speaking telephone directories is Smith. The most popular first name in the world is Mohammed. In Japan, when an infant is about three days old, the child is named in a small ceremony. At the age of one month, the child is taken to a priest and they record the name and date of birth, and the child formally becomes a member of the community. Chapters 5-8

20 Chapters 5-8 What do you think about not choosing your spouse?How do you feel about not having control over what children you have? How do you think that you would feel if you were in Jonas’s shoes? Would you be willing to take on the great responsibility that is asked of him?

21 Irony Irony is the difference between the way things seem and the way they really are. It’s also the difference between what is expected to happen and what really happens Jonas tells The Giver that The Receiver of Memory has great power. The Giver corrects him and says that The Receiver has great honor. As we read the next few chapters, we will see why this statement is ironic. Before chapters 9-14

22 Quotation Explained: “We really have to protect people from wrong choices.” Choices: In Jonas’ community wrong choices exist. Choices that can disrupt and damage the entire society. If the members of the community want the peace and order that the community provides, they must submit totally to the rules that keep the community running smoothly, and that means allowing other, more knowledgeable people to make choices for them. Irony: Jonas realizes the negative aspects of his communities decision making policies. In offering solutions to people who need them, the leaders also prevent them from making their own decisions.

23 Foreshadowing Giving hints or clues about events that are going to happen later in the plot is called foreshadowing. Jonas gives a gift to Gabriel in the next chapters that foreshadows what will occur later in the novel. Before chapters 9-14

24 Quotation Explained: “It was against the rules for children or adults to look at another’s nakedness; but the rule did not apply to newchildren or the Old. Jonas was glad He couldn’t see why it was necessary. He liked the feeling of safety here in this warm and quiet room; he liked the expression of trust on the woman’s face as she lay in the water unprotected, exposed, and free.” Foreshadowing-Jonas’ intense feelings of rebellion and longing for love. Relationship with The Giver. Irony-The fact that Larissa is “exposed” and “free” is contradictory as the social code limits society members’ freedom.

25 Brain Power The human brain is capable of holding more than 1,000 times the information contained in a large 20 volume encyclopedia. In Jonas’ community, the citizens have no real long-term memory, which scientists tell us can last many, many decades. Before chapters 9-14

26 Memory of Light People once thought rainbows were signs from the gods.Today, even though scientists can now explain rainbows, people still look up in wonder. The colors of the rainbow always come in the same order from top to bottom: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The citizens of Jonas’ community can never see a rainbow. Their world lacks color and rain.

27 Chapters 9-14 Do you feel the same way Jonas does about asking liars if they lie? Would you take advantage of the new rights that he was given? How do you feel about the idea of Sameness? Do you think that it could work in our world today?

28 Chapters 9-14 (cont.) How do you think you would react to seeing color for the first time? How do you think you would feel if you didn’t know what snow was and was first introduced to it? Did you find yourself sharing the same frustrations as Jonas? How would you have reacted to sharing a memory with Gabe? Do these chapters bring on any new questions or predictions of what is to come? Do you have any predictions of what you think might happen in the next three chapters?

29 Writing Activity Describe something like you are seeing it for the very first time. Use your five senses to describe what you see, hear, feel, touch, and smell. Write your description in a full paragraph. It can be about ANYTHING, so use your imagination!!!!!

30 Vocabulary 15-23 luminous - brightincision – a path or cut in something suppressing – holding back carnage - slaughter impede – to hinder or slow down languid – weak or slow vigilant – watching carefully imploring - begging feebly – weakly haphazard – careless or without close attention

32 Chapters 15-19 Do you think you would have been able to handle the pain of war? Do you agree that it is safer not to make your own decisions? Do you feel that Jonas will be able to continue his training to become the Receiver? Do you have any thoughts about how they treat twins in the Community? Could you make the decision that Jonas’s dad made? Can you imagine not knowing what love and grandparents are?

33 Chapter (cont.) What do you think Jonas means when he says that love is dangerous? How do you feel about Jonas’s parents telling him that love is meaningless? How do you feel about Rosemary’s incident? “Memories are forever” What does this statement mean to you? What were your reactions to finding out what the Release Ceremony really was? How does this make you feel? Is it safe to say that this was Jonas’s breaking point?

34 Euthanasia Comes from the Greek eu thanatos, meaning “easy death”.Today, euthanasia refers to the voluntary ending of the life of a person who is terminally ill. Often referred to as “mercy killing”. In the U.S., it is still debated legally and ethically. Rulings vary from state to state. after chapter 19

35 The Shocking VideotapeWhen Jonas sees what happens to the extra twin as part of his community’s release program, he is horrified. Many societies throughout history have had practices for controlling population or getting rid of weak or surplus infants. Eskimo China India

36 Author’s Purpose Some authors plan predictable endingsto their stories. Others want to surpise you. Lois Lowry uses vivid descriptions toward the end of the story, but she leaves Jonas’ future in your hands. The ending belongs to YOU……….

37 Chapters 20-23 Did you think that the plan would work?How did you feel about finding out that Rosemary was The Giver’s daughter? Would you have taken Gabe? Do you think they made it? What do you think happened at the very end of the book?

38 Review: Learning Targets:Point-of-View: 3rd person narrator (limited to Jonas’ point-of-view). We see all action/events through Jonas’ eyes. Setting: Unspecified time in future/utopian society (presumably on earth). Major Conflict: Jonas’ new awareness cause him to rebel against the restrictions his society places on freedom of choice. Rising Action: When Jonas becomes the Receiver, he receives memories that change the way he thinks. Climax: When Jonas realizes that when his father “releases” newchildren he actually kills them. Jonas can no longer accept society’s insensitivity to the value of human life. Falling Action: Jonas flees the community on his bicycle with Gabriel, evading search planes and enduring hunger/pain to try and bring feelings/color to his community. Symbols: The newchild, the sled, the river